Pyrotechnical grasshopper.



No. 794,824. PATENTED JULY 18, 1905.

B. H. WAGNER. PYROTEGHNIGAL GRASSHOPPER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 8,1904.

Ejnmnfoz q/vflmmea fi'du/ea/z'd J2. M59229? OMMW a rid a .W M W mnnew B. uluruu 0a., LIYnOOHAPMERS, wAsmNuIum'n. c.

NITE STATES Patented July 18, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

PYROTECHNICAL GRASS-HOPPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 794,824, dated July 18, 1905.

Application filed September 8, 1904. Serial No 223,754.

To all whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD H. WAGNER, a subject of the King of Denmark, and a resident of New York, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pyrotechnical Grasshoppers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to pyrotechnical grasshoppers, so called, which consist of a strip of suitable material inclosing a pyrotechnical compound, said strip being folded upon itself in zigzag form and usually-united or tied in the center with a cord or string. The object of this class of fireworks is to provide a device which will give an intermittent report and will hop or move at each report from one place to another. It has been found 'in practice that this popular piece of fireworks has been defective, owing to the fact that when the piece is ignited the string or cord which binds the central portion of the layers is very liable to become ignited and severed, the result of which is that the strip of material of which the piece is composed burns continuously without report.

The object of my invention is to overcome this defect in this particular type of fireworks; and said object is attained by means of the construction shown in the accompanying drawing, in which the figure is a perspective view showing a grasshopper made in accordance with my invention.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates the pyrotechnical strip, which is usually covered with paper and folded back and forth in zigzag form, as shownfthe number of layers 2 depending upon the requirements of the finished piece. The fuse 3 projects from the end layer in the usual manner. 4 is a wire binding-strip, which is substituted for the usual string or cord in binding this class of pieces.

It has been found in practice that a grasshopper which has a metal binding strip or strand or which is bound in the center by a strip of material which will not sever by heat or flame will give a more desirable effect to the piece and insure the rapidly-recurring intermittent reports and intermittent movements of the piece. The binding-strip 4 is tightly wound around the center of the piece, and at the sides and ends the wire is embedded so as to form an operative choke for the successive layer of the grasshopper, thus insuring the successive explosions and consequent jumps from place to place.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A pyrotechnical grasshopper, comprising a strip of suitable material inclosing a pyrotechnical compound, said strip being folded upon itself in zigzag form and wound around the center by a strand or strands of non-inflammable material, substantially as described.

2. The herein-described grasshopper consisting of a strip of paper inclosing a pyrotechnical compound, said strip being folded upon itself in zigzag form and a binding-strip of wire passed centrally around the layers and slightly embedded therein to form an operative choke, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD H. WAGNER. Witnesses:

KATHERINE A. TIETJEN, LOUIS SCHILDKNECHT. 

